Dredgibtg-machine



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

STEPHEN H. LONG, OF ALTON, ILLINOIS.

DREDGING-IVIACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 81,811, dated March 26, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN H. LONG, of `klton, in the State of Illinois, have invented and caused to be constructed a new and useful instrument or machine applicable to the opening of channels across bars and other sandy, gravelly, or earthy Shoals in the beds'and at the outlets of rivers, lakes, &c., the use of which and all other privileges appertaining thereto I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States.

My invention as aforesaid consists of a triangular frame composed of a strong wooden beam which serves as the base of the frame; two cheek or side timbers rising from near the ends -of the beam and meeting at the top of the frame; four timber stiffeners, applied fore and aft of the cheeks for strengthening vthe latter; two parallel guide timbers about 2 feet apart, rising from intermediate parts of the beam, and meeting the side timbers, near the top of the frame; 3 suitable triangular chocks, viz. one at the junction of the cheek timbers, and one at the junction of each guide timber, with its cheek timber; one gage bar across the space between the guide timbers, 5 or 6 feet below the top of the frame; three or more horizontal girders orties on each side of the frame, uniting the guide to the cheek timbers; five iron Scrapers (more or less) of a semicylindrical semielliptical or quadrangular form, about 2 feet in length and three feet in diameter, (N. B.-Instead of cylindrical Scrapers I sometimes use strong iron teeth inserted in the beam and protruding 15 to 2O inches below the beam;) and one iron plate with a drooping cutter to prevent the overcharging and packing of the mud in the scrapers; the whole firmly adjusted and bonded together by means of iron plates, straps, angle irons, bolts, rivets, &c.

The manner of arranging and combining the several parts above mentioned, and of connecting the Scrapers with the steamer or other craft by which it is worked, is shown in the annexed drawings, which are to be regarded as part and parcel of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front or broadside view of my scraper with its parts and appendages, adapted for dredging to the depth of 1S to 19 feet below the water surface; Fig. 2, an

edgewise View of the scraper showing the position of the steamers bowsprit, &c., 1n connection with the scraper; Fig. 3, a horizontal view of the bowsprit, with its pulley or pulleys for hoisting and lowering the scraper, and of their relations to the steamer or tug boat; Fig'. Il, a longitudinal segment of the lnain beam, &c., with the mud-strike attached to its front or cutting side; Fig. 5, a cross section of the beam, &c., with the strike attached. (Note- The foregoing Figs. 1, Q, 3, 4l, and 5 are projected on a scale of 4 feet to 1 inch. The following' figures, viz. G, 7, and 8, are projected on double the scale, or 2 feet to 1 inch.) Fig. G is a front view of the main beam, showing the posit-ion of the bolts, &c., combining the parts of the beam and of those connecting the mud strike with the beam; Fig. 7, a horizontal view of the beam, showing the position of the bolt confining the Scrapers to the beam; Fig. 8, a vertical cross section of the beam, showing the manner of connecting the sides and guides of the frame with the beam.

N. B.-The parts shaded yellow are of wood; those of a dark shade are of iron.

References and emplcmatonaA B O represent a front or broadside view of the scraper, withthe scrapers, &c., attached, A the top and B C the base or main beam; A B and A O, the sides of the scraper, connected at the top and bottom as represented in the figures, by iron bands, straps, bolts, &c.; D &c., the Scrapers of boiler iron, with their flanges firmly attached to the lower side of the beam by screw bolts, passing through the latter; E F, guides for regulating the vertical and lateral movements of the scraper in its relations to and connections with the bowsprit of the tug; Gr G, Sac., cross ties, with their screw bolts, connecting the sides with the guides of the scraper; H, gage bar with its fastenings for limiting the vertical range of the scraper between the guides; I, triangular chocks, with their bolts, coggles, and other fastenings, for confining together the tops of the sides and guides; K, the chocks and pulley or pulleys of the scraper corresponding to those of the bowsprit of the tug, (around these pulleys plies the cable or warp for hoisting and lowering the scraper;) X, the bowsprit of the tug or dredge boat; Y Y, the position of the bows and deck of the dredge boat; a b, the stiifeners applied to the sides of the scraper; c c, &c., angle irons outward ofthe exterior Scrapers serving as ianges to connect the same to the beam; d al, bands or straps and eye bolt around the top, and gage bar,

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of the scraper, for connecting the sides and .guides of the latter' firmly together; c e, the

angular strike, for preventing the Scrapers from being overcharged with mud; g g, eye bolts through the ends of the beams, to which the drag chains are attached; l1, L, cutting blades of the Scrapers, entering within the latter, and firmly riveted thereto. N. B ln the references the letters used refer indiscriminately to all the figures.

0pemtz'on.-The scraper being applied to the bow of a suitable dredge boat or tug, by means of a proper bowsprit, drag-chains, hoisting and lowering warp, and other tackleV adapted to its use, is conveyed to the head or margin of the shoal to be dredged. It is then lowered to the bed-or bar, and the wheels of the steamerv are turned backward in a direction to drag the scraper across the Shoal-the steamer moving stern foremost with the current of the water, if there be any such current. Having been dragged entirely across the shoal, the scraper is again I hoisted out of the water, and the steamer returns, bow foremost, to the place of beginning. The operation is again resumed as before, and continued till a` channel of the required depth and width shall have been opened.

Having thus fully described the nature and object of my invention, and shown how it is used, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The construction and operation of a scraper for opening channels across bars, &c., substantially such as herein described.

2. The application and use of such a scraper, with a steam tug or tow boat, for dragging it across the bar, in the direction in which the channel is to be made, substantially as herein set forth and explained.

Dated Deer. 1st, 1860.

STEPHEN H. LONG. lVi'tnesses z HENRY C. LONG, D. F. VVENDELL. 

